The present invention relates to a rotary recliner control mechanism for use with a vehicle seat assembly having a rotary recliner positioned to control the pivotal folding of a seat back member of the seat assembly relative to the seat cushion member of the assembly, which control mechanism is especially suited for incorporation into such a seat assembly also having an E-Z entry mechanism.
Automotive vehicles typically have one or more seat assemblies wherein the seat back member thereof may be forwardly folded over the seat cushion member (sometimes termed xe2x80x9ctiltingxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ctippingxe2x80x9d of the seat back member) to allow access to space within the vehicle behind the seat assembly. Moreover, utility type vehicles, such as mini-vans, station wagons, hatchbacks, sport-utility vehicles, and the like, are commonly constructed such that the seat back members of one or more of the vehicle seat assemblies may be folded fully forward, so that the seat back member is substantially horizontal (sometimes termed xe2x80x9cdumpingxe2x80x9d of the seat back member), thus permitting the rear surface of the seat back member to form a temporary xe2x80x9cload floorxe2x80x9d for storage of luggage and the like thereon. In this latter case, it is desirable to be able to lock the folded seat back member in its substantially horizontal configuration before placing the luggage etc. to be stowed on top of the seat back member. It is also sometimes desirable in such vehicles for the entire seat assembly (ie., both the seat cushion member and the seat back member, in unison), to be translated forwardly relative to the floor of the vehicle in order to temporarily provide more space behind the seat, as for example, to allow easier ingress and egress of passengers into the space behind front vehicle seat assemblies. This latter design requirement has often been met, especially in the case of smaller vehicles, by having a so-called xe2x80x9cE-Z entryxe2x80x9d feature incorporated into seat assemblies where such translational movement is required. In E-Z entry systems, the entire seat assembly slides forwardly within the vehicle on a seat track mechanism when the seat back member of an unoccupied seat assembly is forwardly dumped, usually under forward urging by a biasing means associated with the seat track mechanism. E-Z entry seat systems are well-known in the vehicle seating art, and examples thereof can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,169, issued Jul. 18, 1978 and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,206, issued Jan. 28, 1997.
Furthermore, it is common for vehicle seat assemblies, particularly front vehicle seat assemblies, to have a reclining mechanism for the seat back member, which reclining mechanism allows for pivotal adjustment of the seat back member from a relatively vertical, occupiable orientation through a range of increasingly rearwardly inclined positions. Such adjustable rearward pivotal movement of the back rest is typically referred to as xe2x80x9crecliningxe2x80x9d of the seat back member, and the seat assembly hardware which provides for same is called a xe2x80x9creclinerxe2x80x9d or a xe2x80x9creclining mechanismxe2x80x9d.
Numerous mechanisms are known for controlling the features of tipping of seat back members, dumping of seat back members, reclining of seat back members and fore and aft translational movement of an entire seat assembly through the use of E-Z entry mechanisms upon full forward tilting of the seat back member. However, such known devices typically utilize separate load bearing locks, latches, or recliners for each of these seat back member functions, with each of these being actuated by an independent actuation mechanism. The complexity and cost of such prior art designs make it difficult to offer them in high volume/low cost vehicle applications. Another problem with this xe2x80x9cmultiple latchxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9clatch upon latchxe2x80x9d approach of the prior art, is that it multiples the number of issues related to strength, durability, reliability, release effort and noise. Lastly, the xe2x80x9clatch upon latchxe2x80x9d approach results in tolerance stacking problems, which, in turn, raises quality control concerns. All of these issues are of serious concern to present-day vehicle manufacturers, who demand continually higher quality content at increasingly lower prices.
The present invention overcomes these and other problems associated with the prior art by providing a vehicle seat assembly that allows for control of the multiple seat functions of: full forward folding of the seat back member (ie., dumping of the seat back member); tipping of the seat back member (ie., partial forward folding of the seat back member); reclining of the seat back member, (ie., adjustable rearward inclination adjustment of the seat back member)and E-Z entry control through the use of but a single recliner in combination with a unique interlocking system interconnected between the recliner and various other components of the vehicle seat assembly. This is accomplished by a simple mechanism that requires exertion of little effort by the user, is quiet in use, is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, is reliable, and does not exhibit the stacked tolerances of prior art devices having similar utility.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to a rotary recliner control mechanism for use in a vehicle seat assembly attachable to a vehicle floor, which vehicle seat assembly has a seat back member defining a longitudinal seat back axis, said seat back member frame being mounted on a seat cushion member by means of a rotary recliner operable between locked and unlocked configurations to selectively control pivotal movement of the seat back member frame member relative to the seat cushion member about a substantially horizontal pivot axis, and at least two seat track assemblies, with each seat track assembly having a first track section attachable to the vehicle floor and extending from front to rear when installed on the vehicle floor, and a second track section which is attachable to the seat cushion member and is slidably engaged with the first track section, and a track locking assembly having a track lock means for locking the first and second track sections together at any position from a forward position of the second track section to a rearward position of the second track section and a track lock releasing means for selectively unlocking the track lock means from locking as aforesaid. The rotary recliner control mechanism of the invention comprises a recliner control crank member mounted on the rotary recliner for movement of the recliner control crank member between first and second crank positions corresponding to said locked and unlocked configurations, respectively, of said rotary recliner. The recliner control crank member is biased by the rotary recliner towards the first crank position. A first handle control means is mounted on the seat back member and is connected to the recliner control crank member for selective movement of the recliner control crank member between the first and second crank positions against the aforementioned biasing of the rotary recliner. An elongate link member, having opposed first and second ends, is connected adjacent its first end to the seat back member for sliding movement relative to the longitudinal seat back axis between first and second link positions. The elongate link member is connected adjacent its second end to a pivot point for pivotal movement around the substantially horizontal pivot axis concurrent with the pivotal movement of the seat back member and for said sliding movement of the link member transverse to the substantially horizontal pivot axis. A first biasing means is also provided for biasing the link member towards said first link position. The link member has a laterally displaced foot portion adjacent to its second end, with the foot portion being adapted to frictionally engage the recliner control crank member upon the aforementioned sliding movement of the link member from its first link position to its second link position, so as to cause the recliner control crank member to attain the second crank position when the link member has moved to the second link position, thereat to cause the rotary recliner to attain its unlocked configuration. A second handle control means is mounted on the seat back member and connected to the link member for selective movement of the link member between the first and second link positions against the aforementioned biasing of the first biasing means. An interlock plate member is mounted on the seat frame member in rotatable relation to the substantially horizontal pivot axis for rotation between first and second rotational limit positions. The interlock plate member has a camming shoulder positioned adjacent a top edge of the interlock plate member. A second biasing means for biasing the interlock plate member towards said first rotational limit position is also provided. A cam pin is mounted on the link means for driving engagement with the camming shoulder, upon forward pivotal movement of the seat back member to cause the aforementioned rotation of the interlock plate member from its first rotational limit position to its second rotational limit position against the biasing of the second biasing means, when the link member is in the first link position. The cam pin is also mounted on the link means for clearing motion of the camming shoulder by the cam pin, when the link member is in the second link position. A connection means is interconnected between the interlock plate member and the track lock releasing means for unlocking the track lock means when the interlock plate member is rotated, as aforesaid, under the driving contact of the cam pin a threshold distance toward the second rotational limit position. This latter action of the interlock plate member has the effect of providing for activation of an E-Z entry system incorporated into the seat track slide mechanism upon forward tilting of the seat back member a threshold distance, after actuation of the first handle control means. Accordingly, all pivotal movement of the seat back member relative to the seat cushion member is under the control of a single locking member, being the rotary recliner mechanism.
In one embodiment of the invention, the rotary recliner has a rotational axis coincident with the substantially horizontal pivot axis.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the recliner control crank is mounted on the rotary control recliner for movement of the recliner control crank member between the first and second crank configurations of the recliner control crank by rigid transverse attachment of the recliner control crank to a control shaft protruding from the rotary control in coincident relation to said substantially horizontal pivot axis.
In another embodiment of the invention, the pivot point about which the recliner control crank member is mounted is on the central axis of the aforementioned control shaft, which control shaft passes through an elongated slot formed in the elongate link member adjacent its second end to allow for the aforementioned rigid transverse attachment of the recliner control crank member to a free end of the control shaft.
In another embodiment of the invention, the top edge of the interlock plate member defines a convexly arcuate cam pin follower surface having a defining axis coincident with the substantially horizontal pivot axis, and the cam follower surface is positioned to allow said the cam pin to slide therealong upon forward pivotal movement of the seat back member relative to the seat cushion member, when the link member is in its second link position, so as to prevent return of the link member, under biasing of the first biasing means, from the second link position to the first link position, during pivotal movement of the seat back member, thereby to hold the rotary recliner in its unlocked configuration during the forward pivotal movement of the seat back member.
In another embodiment of the invention, a radially inwardly directed cam pin release notch is positioned on the interlock plate member adjacent the forward extent of the arcuate cam follower surface so as to permit the cam pin to enter into the release slot from the sliding interaction with the cam follower surface under the biasing of the link member by the first biasing means so as to permit the link member to return to the first link position, thereby to allow the rotary recliner to return to its locked configuration upon full forward pivotal movement of the seat back member to a load floor configuration.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first handle control means comprises a Bowden cable operatively connected at a first end to a lever handle member pivotally mounted on the seat back member, and at its opposed second end to the recliner control crank member. In this embodiment, the second handle control means comprises a Bowden cable operatively connected at a first end to a lever handle member mounted on the seat back member, and at its opposed second end to the first end of the link member. Also in this embodiment, the connection means comprises a Bowden cable operatively connected at a first end to said track lock means and, at its opposed second end to said interlock plate member.
Other advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention, as well as methods of operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the appended claims, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the latter of which is briefly described hereinbelow.